A new study from the Media Research Center found that Apple and Google did not run any of the highly-scandalous stories involving failed U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner.
Google tried to debunk our report, but failed miserably. pic.twitter.com/HYGjwB30yW
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) July 14, 2026
The report revealed that, from November 2025 through May 2026, the aggregation components of both Apple and Google did not run a single story detailing a scandal about Platner’s candidacy, including stories about his Totenkopf tattoo, his dark Reddit history, or exposing when he described himself as a communist.
“From November through May, Apple News and Google News willfully hid at least 112 significant stories from some of the most widely read right-leaning outlets covering Platner’s scandals, indicating a troubling pattern of intentional censorship,” said Luis Cornelio in the study.
The Media Research Center further claimed that Apple and Google only ran negative stories about Platner’s history after his disturbing sexting scandal came to light. Still, they would not report the totality of the scandals involving Platner when a Fox News poll showed that he would likely be defeated by Republican incumbent Susan Collins in November.
After it became clear that Platner had no political future, Apple and Google boosted 12 stories about Platner’s scandals between July 7 and 8.
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Apple News and Google News ran a protection racket for Graham Platner,” said Media Research Center President David Bozell. “For months, while Platner looked like the one Democrat who could beat Susan Collins, the two most powerful news apps in America buried scandal after scandal. Then the polls turned, Platner became a liability, and suddenly the blackout ended. News judgment had nothing to do with it. Millions of smartphone users were denied the truth while Platner was politically useful and finally allowed to see it once he wasn’t.”
Google responded to their controversial practices by issuing a denial, claiming that “these claims are totally false and based on a completely flawed methodology.”
Google did not offer an explanation as to how the Media Research Center’s methodology was “flawed.”
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